Locking device for mop-holders.



1. T. WILSON.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR MOP HOLDERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. 1914.

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Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

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aim 15/ awuewtoz/ san JOSEPH '1. WILSON, OF CLAYTON, NEW JERSEY,ASSIGNOR T0 SILVER-CHAMBERLIN 00., OF CLAYTON, NEW JERSEY.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR MOP-HOLDERS.

Specification of Iietters ratent.

Patented Au. 3, 1915.

Application filed July 24, 1914:. Serial No. 852,809.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Josnrn T. VVILSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Clayton, in the county ofGloucester and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Looking Devices for Mop-Holders, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in mop holders andas its principal object aims to provide a device of this character inwhich the mop rag or cloth is detachably connected to the staff orhandle of the device by a simple and efficient fastening device.

More specifically my invention aims to provide a fastening device formop cloths which consists substantially in two co-acting elements, oneof which is so constructed that it serves as the receiving frame for themop rag and the other of which is in the nature of a rod-like catch orretainer which is mounted on the handle and is movable into eitheroperative or inoperative position with respect to the rag receivingframe so that this element may be either secured to or released from thehandle. v

Another object, and one of equal importance with the foregoing, is toconstruct both the retaining rod and the rag receiving frame with suchregard to proportion, numher and arrangement of parts that they may becheaply manufactured, will be durable and efficient in service and maybe easily and conveniently employed in attaching almost any form of mopcloth to a handle.

The above recited and other incidental objects of a similar nature,which will be hereinafter more specifically treated, are accomplished bysuch means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described inthe following specification, and then more particularly pointed out inthe claims which are appended hereto and form a part of thisapplication.

With reference to the drawing wherein there has been illustrated thepreferred embodiment of my invention, as it is reduced to practice, andthroughout the several views of which similar reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a perspective viewillustrating the receiving frame as applied to the handle and disclosingparticularly the manner in which the retaining or looking rod engagesthe frame for holding it in operative position; Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection taken medially through the handle and illustrating the interiorarrangement. of the stem portion of the rag receiving frame and lockingrod with respect to the handle of the mop; Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view illustrating the mop rag vor cloth receiving frame indisassembled position with respect to the handle and locking rod.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings the mop includes as its essential features of construction, amop cloth receiving frame 10, a locking rod 11, a staff or handle 12 anda metallic sleeve 13, which latter member embraces the terminal of thehandle and acts to hold the member 11 against accidental displacementtherefrom.

The mop cloth receiving frame 10 is preferably formed from a single.length of resilient wire of relatively heavy gage. This length of wireis bent in the manufacture of the frame at an approximate central pointindicated at 14. The two strands of wire thus produced are twisted oneabout the other to form a stem indicated at 15. At the terminal of thisstem portion 15, the

two strands are directed at right angles as at 16 and are then againbent at an approximateright angle to produce the arm portions 17. Theseportions 17 are arranged preferably to extend in substantial parallelrelation to the member 15, as will be readily observed upon reference toeither Figs. 1 or 2. It will now be seen that there is formed on theterminal of the stem 15 a substantially U-shaped frame which is definedby the two members 16 in connection with the arms 17 The two strands ofwire as previously explained are produced by the initial bending of thewire at its approximate central point, are again bent as at 18 and thendirected at right angles to the arms 17. The bars 19, which result fromthis bending of the strands, extend in opposite directions with respectto the member 15 and are normally disposed in severe frictional contactwith each other at their intermediate portions by means ofthe resiliencyof the material from which the member 10 is formed. The extremeterminals of the bars 19' are bent upon themselves forming the doubleportions indicated at 20. These members 20 act as terminal abutminalretaining finger 23.

tained by thus disposing the bars 19 will.

hereinafter be more particularly pointed out in that portion of thespecification devoted to the description of the locking rod. The lockingrod, which has heretofore been designated as an entirety by the numeral11, is similarly to the frame 10, formed from a single length ofresilient wire, which is bent toproduce a relatively long body portion21, a terminal locking ring 22, and a ter- The member 23 issubstantially arcuate in shape and lies in a plane at right angles tothe body portion 21 of the rod. The locking ring 22 is with respect tothe member 2-1 similarly disposed.

The actual construction of the frame 10 and locking rod 11 being thusdisclosed, it now remains to describe the manner in which they areapplied to the handle 12.

For this purpose reference will now be had particularly to Figs. 1 and2, in which it will be seen that the stem portion 15 of the frame 10 isdesigned to seat within a metallic tube 24, which is let into theterminal of the handle 12. The rod 11 is applied to the handle 12 bydisposing the body portion 21 in a longitudinally extending groove 25,which is formed in the face of the rod. This groove is in depth slightlyless than the diameter of the member 21, so that the holding sleeve 13will frictionally engage with the member 21 in such manner as toyieldably hold it against ing finger 23 to bring the ring 22 intoengagement with the two members 16 at their junction. At this point itmay be well to explain that the body portion 21 of the locking rod is ofsuch length that it will be necessary for the operator to exertconsiderable'pressure against the finger 23 in order to bring thelocking ring 22 into the proper engagement with themember 16.

When the ring 22 is engaged with the member 16 in the manner shown inFigs. 1 and 2, the member 23 is completely received within the groove26, so that there willbe no liability of the terminal of the member 23snagging or engaging with disastrous results any element foreign to themop.

It will now'be seen that it is necessary to provide some means for;holding the stem 15 and consequently the frame 10 with respect to thehandle 12. For this purpose I have cut away the upper edge portion ofthe sleeve 13 in such manner as to form a pair of diametrically opposedstop shoulders 27 As will be seen in Fig. 1, these shoulders areengageable by the portions 16 of the frame 10 and thus serve to hold theframe againstv rotation.

It will also be observed that the members 16 in'connection with themembers 17 constitute in reality a substantially U-shaped keeper memberWhich co-acts with the lock ing ring 22 in forming a separable fasteningdevice by which the frame 10 is detachably secured to the handle 12, andthat the two members 17, constitute a double support for the body of themop frame, greatly increasing the rigidity thereof.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawing, and referred to in the abovedescription as the preferred embodiment, is the most practical andeflicient; yet realizing that it may be necessary in some instances tosubject the frame 10 and'locking rod 11 to slight modifications, inorder to adapt the device for use under varying working conditions, Idesire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in the detailsof construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departingin any way from the basic principle of my invention as defined inthe'appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising an apertured handle, amop frame having a mop engaging portion and a stem portion adapted forinsertion into said handle, two uprights connecting the mop engagingportion and the stem portion, and a pivoted locking member adapted toswing between the uprights and engage the upper part of the stemportion, whereby the frame is detachably secured to the handle.

2. A device of the character described comprising an apertured handle, amop frame having a mop engaging portionand a stem portion adapted forinsertion into said handle, said portions being joined by connectionsforming an opening, and a looking device adapted to be swung between themop engaging portion and the stem portion, and into the opening formedby said connections, whereby the frame is'detachably secured to thehandle.

3. device of the character described comprlslng an apertured handle, amop frame havinga mop engaging portion and a stem portion adapted forinsertion into said handle, said portions being connected by twouprights forming a socket, and a locking device pivoted to swing intosaid socket, whereby the frame is detachably secured to the handle.

4. A device of the character described comprising an apertured handle, amop frame having a mop engaging portion and a stem portion adapted forinsertion into said handle, two uprights connecting the mop engagingportion and the stem portion, and a pivoted locking member adapted toswing between the uprights and engage the upper part of the stemportion, whereby the frame is detachably secured to the handle, andmeans for releasably holding said looking member in its operativeposition.

5. A device of the character described comprising a handle, a mop frame,said frame being formed from a single length of resilient wire andincluding a stem portion inserted in the terminal of the handle, asubstantially U-shaped keeper extending from the stem and a pair ofoppositely directed bars formed on the free terminal of the keeper armand arranged in parallel spaced relation to the bight portion thereof,and a locking device carried by the handle and movable over and awayfrom the end thereof, said locking device being engageable with thebight portion of the keeper for detachably securing the frame to thehandle.

6. A device of the character described including a handle, a mop clothreceiving frame, said frame being formed from a single length ofresilient wire and including a stem portion inserted in the terminal ofthe handle, a substantially U-shaped keeper extending from the stem anda pair of oppositely directed bars formed on the free terminal of thekeeper arm and arranged in parallel spaced relation to the bight portionthereof, and a locking rod carried by the handle and rotatable withrespect thereto, said locking rod being engageable with the bightportion of the keeper for detachably securing the handle to the frame.

7. A device of the character described including a handle, a mop clothreceiving frame engageable therewith, said frame being provided with asubstantially U-shaped keeper, and a locking rod carried by the handleand cngageable with the keeper for detachably securing the frame to thehandle, said locking rod being formed from a single length of resilientwire and including a. straight body portion, an arcuate finger formed atone terminal thereof and a locking ring formed at the other terminalthereof, said locking ring being movable into engagement with the saidkeeper for detachably securing the frame to the handle and being furthermovable to the position whereby the frame is released.

8. A device of the character described including a mop cloth receivingframe formed from a single length of resilient wire and including a stemportion, a substantially U-shaped keeper member and a pair of barsextending in parallel spaced relation to the bight portion of thekeeper, a lockinga'od having a straight body portion, a locking ringformed at one terminal thereof and an arcuate retaining finger formed atthe other terminal thereof, and a metallic sleeve embracing the terminalof the handle and receiving thebody portion of the locking rod wherebythe same is held against longitudinal movement with respect to thehandle but is adapted for rotation with respect thereto, whereby thelocking ring may be swung to engage the keeper or to release the same.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH T. WILSON lVitnesses:

JEROME S. RUSH, MARY T. RUSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

